


Runaway

by dulcehernandez



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Angst, Drunken Confessions, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24697408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dulcehernandez/pseuds/dulcehernandez
Summary: Inspired by Kanye's verse on Runaway:"Never was much of a romanticI could never take the intimacyAnd I know it did damage'Cause the look in your eyes is killin' me"
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been avoiding choosing a specific name so its easier for the reader to imagine their own MC in it so I apologize in advance if its confusing! Thanks for the love on my previous writing. I hope to share more soon since I have lots of ideas.

Ethan Ramsey leaned on his girlfriend in more ways than one, but tonight, she had been responsible for bringing him back to his apartment.

The couple had stayed late at Donahue's to celebrate Rafael Aveiro's engagement to his highschool sweetheart, Sora. Rafael was a very loved member of the Edenbrook community and the bar was filled with friendly familiar faces like Kyra Santana, Sienna's boyfriend Danny, and even Dr. Harper Emery. All of the second year residents had helped Rafael propose in an elaborate plan that took three months to plan and much to everyone's surprise it went off without a hitch. 

They celebrated with rounds of tequila shots courtesy of Dr. Jackie Varma and everybody was taking turns singing karaoke with Dr. Bryce Lahela. The young diagnostician felt happy and in her element. It wasn't often that Ethan allowed himself to be fully immersed in her world. He always reminded her that he didn't enjoy advertising his private life at work. Most of their nights were spent at expensive restaurants on the other side of town where Ethan knew nobody from Edenbrook or Mass Kenmore was likely to spot them, at his private box at the opera, weekends in Rhode Island with Alan, or at his apartment spending time with Jenner and rewatching Nigella before trying out new recipes. Yet, tonight was different and she felt ecstatic that she could share her everyday normal with her boyfriend. 

Throughout the night she made an effort to stay by his side. As she sat on his lap and he snuck kisses to the nape of her neck, they chatted with her roommates. Elijah tried convincing Ethan to join them for a John Carpenter movie marathon the following weekend and Sienna bribed his possible attendance with her infamous pastries. It did not go unnoticed to Ethan that Jackie and Aurora Emery made a visible effort to maintain their distance from him. He knew they did not approve of his relationship with their roommate. For Aurora, it was too strange to see her aunt’s ex-boyfriend and current boss nemesis now date her roommate. If she had it her way, there would have been a greater separation between her and Ethan Ramsey. Likewise, Jackie had a close relationship with Bryce Lahela and had been aware of their previous fling. In her eyes, things with Bryce wouldn’t be as complicated or as hidden as they were with Ethan. Jackie had often given Ethan a difficult time during group dinners and wasn’t afraid to express her disdain for the diagnostician. She felt as if he was hindering her friend's professional progress something Ethan often feared himself.

As Elijah was about to begin debating about the cultural relevance of some film that nobody in the group knew of, Rafael gathered around them to make a speech. Sora and Rafael's hands were tightly laced together. Anybody could see the deep trust and love they had for one another. 

_"First of all I want to thank you all for joining me for this very special night. This has been a long time coming. Sora, you have been my rock and supported me through everything and never asked for anything in return. I can only hope that I can give you the same for the rest of our lives. I don't know much, but what I'm sure of is that if everything was suddenly taken from me and I was left with nothing that I would still feel like the luckiest man to call you mine. Sora, you're my North star."_

As Rafael continued his speech, Ethan noticed Sienna and his girlfriend tearing up at the words being exchanged. He was not surprised at Trinh's display of emotion but he was stunned that something like an engagement party speech could have stirred such emotion from his girlfriend. After all, he assumed that it was an unspoken agreement that marriage was not in the cards for them due to Ethan's disdain for the institution. He tenderly wiped the tears off her face and she kissed him hungrily in return. As they parted from their kiss, there was a look of wonder and love in her eyes that was unmistakable. He had never been the recipient to such affection and wanted to grasp onto it for as long as he could. 

Near closing time, a drunk Bryce tugged at the young doctor's sleeve and begged her to join him to sing a rap song that the rest of the group got excited for and cheered for. The energy suddenly felt heightened. Sienna exclaimed, _"Remember when we went to the musical festival and saw Kanye perform this?!"_ The group's chatter grew as they all reminisced on an event Ethan had no clue had even happened. It was not beyond him that her life extended beyond the time they spent together but the realization that her social life was far more different with her roommates and friend group was different than their own time together made him feel like he was denying her something he had not been cognizant he had even taken away from her. Almost as if searching for permission, she looked to Ethan and kissed him on the lips and said, " _I'll be right back._ " 

Bryce excitedly grabbed her by her waist and spinned her around but not before he eagerly placed a blue cowboy hat with faux fur on the rookie's head. It matched the pink fuzzy one he had been sporting all night. It was hard to pin down the source of the colorful cowboy hats but it had been ultimately decided that they were the perfect party favor to celebrate Rafael and Sora. The pair was easy to spot as they lightly held the other's hand and made their way up to the stage to perform for their friends.

The music was loud and the overall incessant volume of the crowd made it hard to listen to the surgeon and diagnostician but Ethan could grasp their palpable chemistry. He allowed the words they were singing with adoration to one another to process. 

_I just wanted you to know_  
_I loved you better than your own kin did_  
_From the very start_  
_I don't blame you much for wanting to be free_

They sang with such intensity that it was difficult for him to examine if there was any truth to their statement. As he tried to keep his eyes on the pair, Harper Emery slid into the booth occupied by Ethan and brought him a scotch neat. She knew him well enough to analyze that he needed something to ease whatever moral dilemma he was grappling with. He grinned at Harper with respect and admiration. Ethan chuckled and took a sip from the drink, _"I suppose you think I needed this because of my vivacious demeanor?"_

Harper said with amusement, _"Ethan, you're at an engagement celebration and you look worse than when I told you I was going to become the Chief of Medicine."_ Although this was an incident that they now found amusing, that had been a difficult point in their relationship. Ethan had felt betrayed by one of the few people he trusted and respect which had resulted in the demise of their on-and-off again relationship for good. Ethan rebutted, " _Emery, that was betrayal at its finest_." 

In an attempt to not rehash old wounds, Harper met Ethan's sightline and joined the doctor in witnessing the ongoing performance. She humorously whispered to a stern Ethan, " _Who would've thought my surgical resident and your rookie were essentially the same person?"_ The comment only made Ethan's shoulders tense more and he clutched tightly to his drink taking another swig from the glass. Harper was receptive tried to redeem herself. She gently rubbed his shoulder and whispered, _"They just remind me of us, but you know very well how that ended. You have nothing to worry about, Ramsey."_ She left the booth and made her way to talk to her niece but Ethan hardly noticed her absence. Harper was correct in her observation. Bryce and his rookie had the same sense of humor, adventure, and he was already loved and embraced in her friend group it was no wonder why Aurora and Jackie preferred him as part of their additional dynamic. 

As the song began to wind down, Bryce embraced his singing partner and Ethan noticed the surgeon whisper sweet nothings into her ear. She warmly caressed his cheek and giggled at whatever remark Lahela had made. Ethan could feel jealousy coursing through his veins but in fear that he would cause a scene at one of the only outings in which he had joined her friend group, he decided to drown his sorrows to any drink that Reggie had readily available at the bar. By the time his rookie had found him she apologetically excused herself and called a taxi to take them to his apartment. 

As she dropped her copy of the keys to his apartment by the coffee table, she heard her boyfriend whimper trying to assemble some words feigning sobriety. Ethan's head was resting on the crook of her neck and he was gripping her waist leaning on her for support by distributing some of his weight towards her. As she managed to lay him down by his couch she tried to bask in the momentary silence only to be interrupted by drunken slurs. Finally she grasped Ethan’s fear, _“you’re going to leave me for that scalpel jockey, aren’t you?”_

Bewildered by the accusation she untangled herself from his grip and surveyed his indigo eyes. Her confusion was met his angst. When she looked into his eyes she felt as if she had known him her entire life. She knew that she would have recognized him and his touch in a different place, a different time. It always appeared to her that he saw straight through her and it was impossible to be anything but transparent. She resented the fact that she couldn't do the same for him but what she did see was the pain that was torturing his soul. She knew even if he failed to open up to her that his troubles were everpresent. 

She held onto him as he transitioned himself in order to lay on her lap, his face nuzzled between her thighs. After a beat she managed to conjure up her thoughts and in a carefully stringed manner she noted, " _Ethan, you’re ridiculous. I've been fighting like crazy to be with you since miami. Why would I throw that away?"_

As she leaned in to kiss his cheek he turned upright with his eyes still closed and harshly countered with more assurance than she was ready for, _"As soon as you realize that I can’t provide what he can for you. Frankly, I don’t want to be at a bar until three in the morning with your friends trying to grasp your inside jokes and I’m not going to learn an entire rapper’s discography to sing along to when we go on roadtrips. You’ll be bored before you know it and then you'll leave me just like everybody else."_

She pushed him off her body and moved to the furthest corner of the couch. The apartment's lights were too brightly lit so despite now sitting at the edge of the couch with his feet grounded on the floor, he found himself unable to keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time.

In a matter of fact tone, he heard her say, " _Those things aren’t important to me. They don’t matter. You do."_

Any other time, he would have found that incredibly comforting but as he glanced at her, the damage he had done quickly hit him. It angered him and he snapped. It felt as if the floodgate of his insecurities had suddenly opened without a warrant and he was unable to restrain himself.

_"You can’t know that!_ _What about children or marriage? I’m not going to compromise my principles for a trophy family. I can't give you what Rafael and Sora have or what you might have gotten if you stayed with Lahela. Don't be naive. We don't make sense."_

She began to feel tears welling up. " _What are you talking about? When have I ever asked you for any of it."_

 _"But you will."_ Ethan cried out with an intensity that made her tremble. 

She sniffled voicing her own concerns about her relationship, something she feared to acknowledge since before they were officially dating.

_"It just seems like you have been looking for an exit strategy since we got together, Ethan. If you want to break up, do it now. I don’t want to play any games. We’ve been through that enough."_

As she awaited the damning response she was met with silence from Ethan. Her heart sank before she noticed that he had began doze off in the couch. She went to grab a blanket to cover him up began tracing circles on his back trying to comfort him. The tears that had welled up earlier were now streaming down her face. She doubted her would remember the quarrel morning come but she knew this was not the end of their conversation. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Space can reveal things that were in front of you all along.

The rookie had decided to take a break from her relationship with Ethan. There were still pictures of them all over his apartment. Her clothes were still in the laundry hamper, and so were her toiletries and cosmetics in his bathroom yet his apartment suddenly felt emptier and less of a home.

The morning after Ethan’s drunk confession, he found her by the kitchen countertop reading a medical journal.

“ _Hey, pretty girl..._ ” whispered Ethan as his hangover began to settle.

“ _How’s the hangover?_ ” The look in her eyes was of pure disappointment and it stung him. Although he would never admit it, he knew how much she looked up to him even if it was unspoken. It was something that he had grappled with before deciding to take the risk and start a relationship with her. He had been her medical hero and the reason she had applied to Edenbrook. He had challenged her throughout her intern year in order to allow her to fullfill the very potential he knew she was capable of when he approved her residency application. It killed him that he had failed her as a mentor and now a boyfriend.

Like clockwork their argument suddenly rushed back to his memory. Before he could gather himself and apologize she spoke. He could sense she was struggling to meet his eye as if his gaze was powerful enough to change her mind.

“ _I think we need some space from each other. I’m going to spend the night at my place for a couple of nights and then we can talk._ ”

He rubbed his eyes, confusion coursed his body, and he tried to wake himself up to process what was happening. “ _I love you. You always say that we’re on the same team. We can work through anything._ ”

He stood up and walked over to her and kissed her to show her how important she was to him. Although he wasn’t met with restraint, he could feel her tearing up. He looked into her emerald eyes and tried to speak before he was interrupted.

“ _It didn’t feel that way yesterday when you were practically begging for us to break up, Ethan. I love you so much, it consumes me, but what if that’s wrong?_

Later that day, she entered the Diagnostics office right before the meeting was about to start. Baz and June glanced at each other with curiosity. The young doctor sat next to Baz in the meeting rather than Ethan. Ethan and her had a tendency to hold hands intimately, it was one of the highlights of his days. To be next to the love of his life practicing his life’s passion. She loved watching him work, it inspired her beyond belief. She was usually in Ethan’s office way before meetings began and after they ended. They ate lunches together and they spent all their free time tucked away there. If something was troubling her she didn’t show it. She still challenged June on her diagnosis and teased Baz. Before she could swiftly exit from the Diagnostics meeting, Ethan stood by the doorway with his arms crossed across his chest. He lifted her chin up and looked in her eyes. She felt herself melting and like he could see straight through her. 

She sighed and Ethan inquired, “ _I was wondering if you wanted to have some of the lunch I made._ ”

“ _Ethan..._ ”

“ _You cut your hair_.”

“Y _ou’re preventing me from doing my job to discuss my haircut._ ” He recognized the challenging look across her face. It was one he hadn’t seen often after they started dating. It was not humorous and much to his dismay it felt indecipherable to him. 

“ _I just saw you this morning and now you’re sporting a new look. I was wondering if you went off to get jumped the gun on a breakup haircut_.”

“ _First of all, we’re not broken up and second, I just needed a change_. _Sienna did it this morning before work._ ”

“ _Like you’re going to need a change when you break up with me as soon as you’ve decided to stop giving me the silent treatment? I want you back_.”

“ _Ethan, you have me. I told you I just need some space._ ” 

“ _It doesn’t feel like I have you, not when you didn’t so much as glance at me during our meeting or acknowledged my presence. Not when you’re not home with me at our place._ ”

She shook her head and hesitated before stating her rebuttal, “ _I’m not officially moved into your place. You know that. What happened to all the restraint you had when I was begging you to be with me for two years?_ ”

“ _That’s what I can’t comprehend. You fought day and night for us to be together and now you’re throwing it all away. And for what? You broke me, Rookie! This isn’t me. I didn’t go chase Harper once after we ended things. I refuse to move on from this. We have to see things through.”_

_“Broke you? And you still don’t think we need time apart from one another. I’m paying thousands of dollars to live in an apartment I haven’t stepped into in months because I’ve been cooped up with you!”_

“ _Don’t act like I haven’t tried to convince you to move in with me everyday for the past year. I’m in love with you. I just want to get through this. You’re leaving me just like my mother did!_ ” Regret flushed him as he processed and began to understand the root of his insecurities. Yet, it wasn’t fast enough to apologize.

She was shell shocked. " _Ethan, I am nothing like your mother. I’ve stood by your side from the moment I met you. You know I’m in this for the long run. I can’t believe you would pull this card on me.”_

She started to tear up again. “ _I have some patients to deal with. I swear as soon as things settle, I’ll find you._ ” She caressed his cheek and he held onto her soft hand. He kissed her hand back. She closed her eyes and whispered, _“I love you. I do. You have to believe me.”_

That night, he avoided Donahue’s wanting to grant her the space she had asked for. As he got ready for bed, he disposed of an empty mouth wash and heard an unfamiliar sound. As he looked for the source of the sound, he found an unraveled pregnancy test. His heart sank. He didn’t need to hold it to know the result but somehow seeing the positive result grounded the knowledge.

Without a second thought, he grabbed his keys and started driving towards her apartment.

He entered into his room, one he hadn’t been to in months and saw his girlfriend intently on her laptop typing away. She looked up and didn’t need an explanation to know why he was standing before her. 

_"How long have you known?"_ His voice was tender and careful.

_“Last week. I took like four tests. They were all positive.”_ She didn’t make eye contact and Ethan made his way to the corner of her bed.

“ _How do you feel... are you excited?_ ”

She lied down on Ethan’s lap. He began to run his fingers through her hair. “ _Ethan, it’s your baby. Of course I’m excited. This baby is a product of our love.”_ She kissed him and pressed her forehead towards his and took a deep breath.

When she spoke her voice was gentle as if she was trying to string the perfect sentiment, _"I know you said it’s not in the cards and yesterday further affirmed that. I would never put you through something like that._ ”The way she looked at him made gave him clarity on a life that he didn't know he wanted. It was one filled with love, tenderness, and security. 

“ _I know I said I didn’t want kids before, but I want you to be the mother of my children. When I look at you, I see my future... our future. I want to marry you. I want to celebrate those milestones with you, above anything else. You’re the love of my life.”_

“ _I love you desperately_.” She kissed him with passion and tenderness without a worry about the troubles that might lie ahead.

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr accounts are DulceGHernandez and OpenHeartIncorrect!


End file.
